Machine



(No Model.) 7 Sheets-Sheet'l.

J. W. POST.

SEWING MACHINE. No. 250,966. Patented Deo. 13,1881.

N. PETERS. Pnommhugmpher. washmgln u c.

(No M odel.) 7 Sheets-Sheet 2. J. 4W. POST.

SEWING MACHINE. l No. 250,966. Patented Deo. 13,1881.

llllllilll (No Model.) 7 Sheets-Sheet 3. J. W. POST.

SEWING MACHINE. A No. 250,966.` Patented 1300.13.1881.

By /uls .dttorney N. PETEIN mm-mwgmpner. wmmgmn. b. c. v

(N0 Model.) 7 Sheets-Sheet 4.

J. W. POST.

' SEWING MACHINE.

No. 250,966. Patented Deo. 13,1881.

mm aM ./WM

N. PETERS. Phowvuuwgnpmr. washinmen. D. c.

(No Model.) 7 Sheets-Sheet 5.

J. W. POST.

SEWING MACHINE.

No. 250,966. Patented Deo. 13,1881.

PVITJVESSES 1./V' VEA/TOR N. PzTERS. Pmwmiwmnnnr. wnmngmn, D. C.

(No Model.) I 7 sheets-sheen 6. J. W. POST.

SEWING MACHINE.

No. 250,966. Patented Deo. 13,1881.

wf@ MM/fw VITJVESSES ML/C/ By /uw .fittorney N. rimas Prwxumnognphp,washing. n. c.

(No Model.) 7 sump-sheen 7. J. W. PST.

SEWING MACHINE. No. 250,966. Patented Des. 13,1881.

WITNESSES lJV'T/'EJV'TOR ML/C/ By l-S Attorney Fantiti\ir erica..

.IonsT w. POST, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

SEWING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 250,966, dated December13, 1881. A Application filed October 17, 1881. (No model.) v

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN WV. POST, a ,citizenof the United States, residing at New York,

in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Sewing-Machines; and I do hereby declarethe following to be a full,clear, l and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanyingdrawings,

and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which forni apart ot' this specification.

Theobject of this invention is to provide a sewing-machine for family ormanufacturing purposes which, by a few simpleand readilymade adjustmentsof mechanism, is rendered capable of making different kinds ot'stitches.

Such a machine, to be practicable, must not` mechanism for making theordina ry lock-stitch,

independent mechanism for making the embroidery-stitch, and otherindependent mechanism for making the chain-stitch, these severalstitch-forming mechanisms being separately combinable with the driving,needle, and feed mechanisms, but all deriving motion from a commonshaft. In myinvention I make the looper take the place ot' a take-up. Iprovide for the lock stitch mechanism, as a substitute for a shuttle, arotary spool in a case which is stationary or noli-rotating, and I giveto the looper a motion that will bring the thread from the needle,spread it over the bobbin or spool, drop it, and progress for the nextloop while the iirst is being drawn tight. For the embroidery-stitch Iemploy a longitudinally-reciprocating looper having a lateral vibrationto carry its thread around the needle and through theneedle-thread. Forthe singlethread chain-stitch l provide a peculiar oscillating looper,which takes the needle-thread, spreads it for the entrance of tho nextloop,

machine, with the cloth-plate in section and the head-cap partly brokenaway, the parts being .in position when the needle is ascending and thelooperjust entering the loop; Fig. 2, aside elevation of the same, thearm being removed and the looper advancing with the loop to spread itover the spool-holder; Fig. 3, a bottom plan view of the mechanism shownin Fig. 2, the drivin g-shaft being broken to save space on the sheet;Fig. 4, a side elevation, and Fig. 5 a front edge elevation, of thespool-holder; Fig. 6, a side elevation of the spool and its shell; Fig.7, a central vertical cross-section of the spool, its shell and holder;and Figs. 8

`to 14, both inclusive, details showing progressively the steps to formthe stitch. Figs. 15 to 30 show the details of the embroideringmechanism, Fig. 15 being aside elevation, looking inthe direction of thearrow, Fig. 16, the cloth-plate b eing in section. Fig. 16 is a bottomplan view; Fig. 17, a bottom plan view, on a larger scale, of thelooper-bar, showing its cam-groove. Fig. 18 is a longitudinal section,on the same scale, of said bar and its shipper. Figs. 19 to 31, bothinclusive, show details of the stitch. Fig. 32 shows a side elevation,and Fig. 33 a top plan View, of the feed-operating har. Figs. 34 to 41,both inclusive, showdetails ofthe chain-stitch mechanism. Fig. 34 is abottom plan view; Fig. 35, a side elevation, looking in the directionofthe arrow, Fig. 34, with the bed-plate in section; Figs. 36, 37, 38,39, and 4l, details ot' the progressive formation of the stitch; andFig. 40, a top plan View of the looper and its operating-lever. Fig. 42is a perspective view of my machine applied to a lathe, as in thecombination claimed in my Patent No. 220,496, granted October 14,1879.Fig. 43 is a front elevation of the head of the arm with the face-plateremoved; and Fig. 44 is a section on line x x, Figs. 1 and 43.

IOO

A suitable table or stand being provided, I prefer to pivot the head ofmy machine thereto transversely, so that it may be turned back as upon atransverse instead of the usual longitudinal axis. This head is composedof the cloth-plate et and arm or neck b, with stitchforming mechanisms,hereinafter specified. c is the driving-shaft, having the drivingbandpulley d, and not necessarily having, but in fact dispensing with,the usual hand-wheel. e is a disk or crank on the opposite end of thisshaft c. This disk has an eccentricpin,f, from which extendstangentially a rigidly-axed crank or arm, g. h is an elbow-lever pivotedin the bend ot' the neck, and connected with the needle-bar by a link orby any other suitable joint. This lever derives a rocking motion fromthe driving-shaft by means of the pin f engaging the lever through aslot in its end. The shaft cis driven by a belt or band connected withsuitable motive power.

t is a rod pivoted to the crank g and sliding through a tubular bearing,j, which bearing is pivoted so as to oscillate in aforked bracket, k,removably attached to a lug, ,Fi g. 16, and dotted lines, Figs. l and 2,on the under side of the bed or cloth plate. A removable pin, m, is usedto connect the bracket to the lug. The forward end of the rod i iscurved laterally, and terminates in a curved bayonet-shaped hook, n,having the notch o.

p is a block attached to the under side of the bed-plate, and q is aspool-holder attached to the block by a screw, r. This spool-holderconsists of a rigid annular arm, s, having an upwardly-projectinglaterally-curved finger, t, in which is the needle-hole u, and a hingedannular arm, n, of substantially equal diameter and corresponding shapewith the annular portion of the arm s. These arms lie parallel andsomewhat separated. Their adjacent edges are dressed smoothly and theiradjacent faces are concaved, as clearly indicated in the section, Fig.7, to form a cavity to receive a spoolholding shell or case, w, Figs. 6and 7. This shell or case has a V-shaped or double-beveled edge orperiphery, so as to lie snugly in between the meeting edges ot' the armss n. A cavity, w, is formed in the side of the shell, and within thiscavity is tixed a post or arbor, y, whereby a spool, z, can be supportedwithin the shell. This spool and its receiving-shell are placed in theholder 1 by slipping it in between the arms s n edgewise, the hinged arm'o yielding to permit such insertion. A spring, a', acting against thehinged arm v, keeps it in place, and permits it to yield under theinsertion and removal of the spool and its shell. A spring, b', beneaththe spring a', having a button, c', resting against the spool, serves tokeep it within its shell.

The spool-case w has an opening, d,through which the spool-thread is ledto and under a tension-spring, e', adjustably attached to said case, anddesigned to furnish the proper and a regulated tension to the underthread.

f is a bar pivoted to the needle-operating elbow-lever h., and derivinga horizontal reciprocating motion therefrom. This bar is held beneaththe bed-plate in a bearing in the block p. Its front end has an inclineor cam, g', on top and a lateral wedge or cam, h,just beyond it. v

fi', is the feed-dog. Itis arranged to slide in a transverse slot, 2, inthe block p, and has an arm,j, extending backwardly and supported in ablock, k', on the bed-plate.

l' is an adjusting-screw extending through the arm j', and projectingmore or less beyond the front end ot' the said arm, to limit the forwardthrow of the feed-dog. As the arm f is thrown forward synchronously withthe rise ot' the needle, the back of the cam h will come in contactwit-h the projecting end of the screw l and advance the feed-dog, thecam g acting synchronously to give said feed-dog the proper rise. Uponthe return of the arm f' on the descending motion ot' the needle the camg will leave the feed-dog, and the face of the cam h. will strike a pin,m', on said feed-dog and retract it. The feeddogis thus positively movedin all directions, except that gravity and the pressure of the spring ofthe presser-toot effect its fall. The needle-thread is carried from thespool n on the neck b about a tension device, o', thence through an eye,1J', projecting from the needle-bar q', and thence through eyes i" satthe rear Lipper and lower ends ofthe head to the needle. These eyes,as will be understood, form guides for the thread. The needle has FCOonly a vertical reciprocation. The spool z (car- *if ryng the underthread) andits shell and holder form a substitute for the usual shuttle.The holder and shell are stationary, and the spool has only so muchrotation as is necessary to pay out the thread.

The operation of this part of my invention is as follows: When theneedle has completed its descent the rotation ofthe disk c advances thelooper, so that when the needle begins its ascent the hook a will enterthe loop ot' thread carried by the needle, (see Figs. l, 8, and 9,) and,continuing to advance, said thread-loop will be caught by the notch o.The end of the looper is so curved as to clear the spool-holder q, andits bayonet end is bent around, so that its hook will move in a planeparallel with the apex of the V-shaped periphery of the spoolshell. Thisend ot' the looper is sufficiently thick that when the thread is in itsnotch the loop of thread will be spread open, so that as the looper,having attained its extreme advance, begins to fall and retreat the loopof thread will be spread open over the spool-shell, between it and thearms of its holder, (see Figs. 10 and 11,) and the spool-thread willfall within this loop. The motion ofthe looper about the spool-holder isdescribed in an elliptical curve somewhat resembling the outline of atop or a sharp-pointed egg, the larger curve being in front of theholder. Hence as the looper retreats it will carry the loop rearwardlywith it, Fig. l0, and beyond the binding portions of the holder andshell, (see Fig. 12,) when, the

looper'being raised and reaching its rearward movement, the thread willbe freed from the notch, and upon the descent ot` the needle coincidentwith this position of the looper said looper will advance andtake thelast loop from theneedle, and, drawingt'rom the previous loop, this rstloop will be drawn up, Fig. 14, and a stitch formed. I by this operationdispense with a take-up and make the looper serve its purpose. Thelooper holds the thread taut during the ascent ot' the needle, taking upthe slack and drawingfrom the needle-thread spool enough thread for thesucceeding stitch. This saves the wear and strain upon the thread incident to its repeated and rapid run nin gthrou gh the eye of the needle ina take-up machine and its constant whipping by the rapid vibration ofthe take-up. The peculiar elliptical motion of my looper is obtained bythe rotary movement of its pivotal end being converted through theoscillating bearing in which its fulcrum is constantly changing'. Thefinger tof the arm s overhangs the shell of the spool and serves toseparate the ascending and descending loops.

In operating my machine as an embroiderin g-machine, I disconnect thebracket It' by takingout its pin m and removing the pivot t', used toconnect the rod i and crank g. The. underthread holder-q may also beremoved by takingoutthe screw r,- bnt this removal is not necessary,save as a matter ot convenience. The lug l, to which the bracket L isattachable, has

a slot parallel with the rod f', and through this slot is passed, so asto work as in a guide, a

bar, u. This bar is pivoted to a projection, lv',

of the rod f', whereby it obtains a rectilinear reciprocation throughthe block l. This bar has secured to its forward end, ns by a setscrew,w', a looper, w. This looper w somewhat resembles a needle, and has twoeyes, y y', and a thread-guide, z', through which, in reverse order, thethread is passed. The bar u has in its under face elliptical grooves a2b2, merging into each other at their meeting ends, and a pin, c2, on aspring-arm, d2, secured to the block l, works in said grooves, itpassing from one groove into the other as the bar is reeiprocated, andimparting a lateral vibratory movement to such bar, which has the effectof passing the loopers thread through the needlethread on one side oftheneedle, and permitting the needle, on its return descent, to passthrough the loopers thread on the opposite side of the looper, asindicated in Figs. 19 to 29. The looper gets its thread (which maybe'silk, silk oss, or other thread) from the spool e?, suitablysustained, as by a tension device ou the under side ofthe bed-plate, andit forms with the needle-thread an embroiderystitch, as indicated inFig. 3l.

The same needle and its operating' mechanism, `the same feed, andthesame driving-shaft are employed with this embroidery-looper'as are usedwith the lock-stitch mechanism; and in its operation the looper carriesits thread through the needle-thread on one side of the needle, Figs. 19and 20, the needle-rising and the looper completing its advance, Figs.22, 23; the pin c2 then enters the opposite groove in the looper-bar,the needle begins its descent and the looper its retreat, but on theother side ofthe vertical path of the needle, Figs. 25, 26, thusencircling the needle with its loop; the needle completes its descentand the looper its retreat, Figs. 28, 29, when the looper-shifting pinenters the tirst groove; the looper begins its advance and the neede itsascent, after the stitch has been formed. Thelooper-lhread appearsboldly as embroidery and the needlethread as the sewing, thelooper-thread having been passed around each thread of the needleloopand back again, thus being laid in three lilies, as clearly indicated inFig. 31.

The looper-arm u muy remain in its bearingblock l at all times. It isrendered inoperative by removing the screw f2, which attaches it to theprojection o of the feed-operatorj", and pushing it back in the slottedblock l, the spring dztholding it therein against accidentaldisplacement. When thus removed, which is the work ot' but a moment, thechain-stitch mechanism or the lock-stitch mechanism may be applied,which is also easily accomplished.

The chain-stitch mechanism is composed of abracket, g2, adapted to beremovably attached to the blockp longitmlinally by a thumb-screw, h2,Figs. 34, 35. The bracket g2 is perforated longitudinally to form asheath or bearing and guide for a rod, i2, which is slotted atj2 at itsrear end, and connected by said slot and a bolt or screw,f2, (the one'used for connecting the embroidery-looper,) to the projection e of therod j", that operates the feed-dog. The forward end of the rod i2 isiiattened vertically, and has a vertical groove, k2, in its face. l2 isa disk, pivoted at 'n.2 to the bracket g2, and haviuga pin,n2, Fig. 38,which en ters the groove k2 ofthe bar i2, by which the rectilinearreciprocating motion ot' the bar derived from its Vconnection with thefeed-dog operator is communicated to the disk Z2; but said disk beingarranged upon a .fixed pivot, m2, this motion is converted in the diskto an oscillating or rotary reciprocating motion thereof, and the bar 2being connected to its motor through a slot, jz, there occur periods ofrest in thc reciprocation of the said bar, so that the movementof thedisk is intermittent.

The forward throw ofthe disk may be automatically accomplished by aspring, Figs. 3i, 85, coiled about the rod i2 in its bearing g2; or saidspring may be utilized to take up the lost motion ofthe slotjz.

The disk is provided with a curved tangential hook, o2, extendinglaterally therefrom, and having a pointed end somewhat U-shap'ed incross-section, as indicated in Fig. 39. A pin, p2, projects laterallyfrom the hook near its forward end. In operation the hook o2 takes theloop of thread from the needle and draws it taut by its forwardrotation. While the needle rises for the nextloop the thread is spreadover the sides ofthe hook, and is held in proper position thereon by thepin p2 to admit into it IIO the neXt descending loop. The needlecompleting its second descent, the looper or hook disk returns with thefirst loop spread and the second Within it. Continuing its backwardmovement, the hook casts off the first loop, Figs. 38, 39, and,beginning its forward movement, takes the second loop from the ascendingneedle, and so on, chaining one loop Within the other to form thechain-stitch.

In both the embroidery and chain stitchy mechanisms their loopers, as inthe lock-stitch.

mechanism, take the place of a take-up. In the chain-stitch theneedle-bar thread-guide p need not be employed.

For combining this'combination sewing-machine With my lathe, Fig. 42, Iemploy a forked joint, g2, and pin r2. (See Fig. 16.) In making thechanges from one stitch to another no more time is consumed and nogreater adjustments or manipulations are required than in applying manyofthe ordinary sewing-machine attachments to other machines.

In Figs. l, 43, and 44 I have shown in dctail means for taking up theWear of the bearings ofthe needle-bar, and these means consist invertically slotting or splitting the ends of the head. These slots s2extend from the outer faces of these ends t2 inwardly to the bore u2 forthe needle-bar. Screws c2, passing transversely through the ends t2,serve as means to tighten up the needle-bar bore, to compensate forWear, and to hold the bar steady in its bearings therein.

What I claim isl. The combination of a driving-shaft, a needle driventhereby, a feed-dog, a rod to transmit motion from said shaft to the dogto operate the feed-dog, a block forming bearin gs for said feed-dog androd, and a series of interchangeable loopers adapted to be operated fromsaid shaft, to form, with a suitable thread or threads supplied thereto,a series of lock, chain, or embroidery stitches, substantially asdescribed.

2. In a lock-stitch sewing-machine, a looperrod, a rotary shaft, withWhichit is connected, and an oscillating bearing, in which thelooper-rod slides, and thus constantly but uniformly shifts itsbearings, so as to convert the rotary motion at one end into anelliptical motion at the other end, in combination with devices for4supplying upper and under threads and a feed mechanism, substantially asdescribed.

3. In an under-thread-spool holder, a spring, b', having a button, c',to retain the spool in its shell, and an auxiliary overlying spring, a',to hold the shell in its holder, substantially as described.

4. In a serving-machine, the combination, with the needle and itsoperating mechanism, the feed-dog, and a reciprocating bar to actuatethe same, adapted for use with mechanism for forming a lock or chainstitch, of'a looperbar deriving a rectilinear reciprocating motion fromsaid reciprocating bar and a laterallyvibrating motion from a guidingdevice Working in an elliptical groove in said looper-bar to formembroidery-stitching, substantially as described.

5. A looper actuated from the feed-operating bar, combined withaspring-finger, to give to said har lateral vibrations and to hold it inplace when not in use, substantially as described.

6. The reciprocating looper-bar having an elliptical groove in its face,combined with a fixed pin, which enters said groove from opposite sidesat the completion of the advance and retreat ofthe bar, to give to it alateral vibratory movement to carry the thread about the needletointcrloop itand the needle-thread, substantially as described.

7. The looper-bar and a slotted block in which it is received, combinedwith a springarm to hold it in place when not in use, substantially asdescribed.

S. A looper-bar having a rectilinear reciprocating motion, and acontinuous elliptical or elongated oval groove, combined With a xed pinextended in said groove to vibrate said looper laterally, substantiallyas described.

9. In a sewing-machine adapted for conversion into a lock-stitch,embroidery-stitch, or chain-stitch machine, a block to support thefeed-dog-operatin g mechanism, combined with a bracket removablyattached thereto, a looper pivoted to said bracket, and a rod deriving arectilinear reciprocating motion from the feeddog operator and impartingan oscillating or intermittent semi-rotary reciprocating movement to thelooper, substantially as described.

l0. A chain-stitch looper composed of a pivotal disk, a thread takingand spreading hook thereon, and a lateral thread-guard pin,substantially as described.

l1. The combination of a rod grooved at one end and connected by aslip-joint to its motive power, a bracket in which said rod slides, anda looper provided with apin Working in the groove in the rod,substantially as described.

l2. A feed-dog operator driven from the main shaft, provided with alateral projection adapted toimpartmotion to an embroideringor chainstitch looper, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN W. POST.

Witnesses:

WM. H. FINOKEL, H. B. ZEVELY.

IOO

IIO

IIS

